Interdepartmental Programs
Islamic Studies
MA and PhD Program Guidelines
The Islamic Studies Program offers the Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)degrees in Islamic Studies.
The MA Degree Program
Students are subject to the official Graduate Council-approved outline of program requirements for the year in which they matriculate, as published annually on the Graduate Division's Program Requirements webpage.
Advising
Student advising begins with admission to the program, at which time the student is matched with one or more faculty members whose specialties relate to the student's areas of interest. During the first year, students meet quarterly with the program Chair, who also serves as the graduate adviser. In consultation with the graduate adviser, students choose three faculty supervisors who represent their three fields of study. By the end of the first year, students secure the agreement of these faculty to serve as supervisors and notify the Student Affairs Officer of this arrangement. For the following terms of graduate study, students meet quarterly with their field supervisors and, as needed, with the Student Affairs Officer.
It is recommended that students use the MA Degree Worksheet to clarify coursework, fields and field supervisors.
Student progress is reviewed annually. At the beginning of Spring Quarter, students meet with their faculty supervisors and provide them with a written summary of their progress toward the degree and their goals for the coming year. Faculty supervisors report to the interdepartmental degree committee which meets to review student progress and advises each student in writing by the end of Spring Quarter as to whether their progress is sufficient to warrant continuation in the program.
Fields of Study
Anthropology, architecture, art history, comparative literature, economics, education, ethnomusicology, film and television, geography, history, law, management, music, philosophy, political science, psychology, public health, public policy, religion, sociology, urban planning, world arts and cultures, and the literatures of the following languages: Arabic, Berber, Hausa, Indonesian, Iranian languages, Malay, Swahili, Turkic languages, Urdu, Wolof, and Yoruba.
Foreign Language Requirement
Other than the language proficiency required for admission to the program, there is no foreign language requirement for the Master's degree. Students who plan to go on for the PhD in Islamic Studies are encouraged to achieve the required levels of proficiency in their research languages early in their graduate study so that their language skills will be of maximum benefit. See the Foreign Language Requirement under PhD Degree Program below.
Course Requirements
Students are subject to the official Graduate Council-approved outline of program requirements for the year in which they matriculate, as published annually on the Graduate Division's Program Requirements webpage.
A minimum of twelve courses is required, divided among three categories:
Category 1: Three Required Courses
Near Eastern Languages 201 (Study of Religion: Theory and Methods)
Islamics 201 (Arabo-Islamic Sciences)
History 200J (Islamic Historiography)
Category 2: Three courses that present and compare specific disciplinary approaches to, methods for, and critiques of the study of Islam and society, such as: Anthro 271, Anthro 273, Art History C214, History 201J, Political Science 245. Other courses may be chosen with consultation with the Program Chair.
Category 3: Six additional courses from at least two different disciplines (not including language courses), and at least two geographic regions, chosen in consultation with the Program Chair.
Out of the twelve courses, five must be at the graduate level (other than Category 1 courses), with only one of the five in the 500 series. All courses applied toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.
Comprehensive Examination
The comprehensive examination requirement is fulfilled either by submitting a single paper (40-60 pages) that combines work in two or more fields of study, or by submitting one paper (maximum of 30 pages) in each of three fields. The paper or papers are evaluated by the student's three faculty supervisors. Regardless of format, the comprehensive examination is graded, by a minimum vote of two, as (1) pass to continue for the PhD, (2) terminal MA pass, or (3) fail. Reexamination in exceptional cases will be determined by the interdepartmental degree committee.
Students are responsible for securing the agreement of their three field supervisors to read and evaluate their comprehensive examination paper(s). Students are responsible for delivering their paper(s) to their field supervisors. It is recommended that students use the MA Comprehensive Examination Committee Nomination Form to notify the field supervisors and the Student Affairs Officer of these arrangements.
Time-to-Degree
Seven academic quarters is the expected time-to-degree for full-time students with no deficiencies upon admission.
The PhD Degree Program
Students are subject to the official Graduate Council-approved outline of program requirements for the year in which they matriculate, as published annually on the Graduate Division's Program Requirements webpage.
It is recommended that students use the PhD Degree Worksheet to track their progress to the degree.
Advising
During their first year, students who directly enter the PhD program meet quarterly with the program Chair who also serves as the graduate adviser. In consultation with the Chair, students choose a primary faculty adviser. By the end of the first year, students choose three fields of study and the faculty with whom they will work in those fields. Students should consult with these faculty and with the Student Affairs Officer as frequently as needed.
Students who intend to proceed from the MA degree to the PhD degree in Islamic Studies must first fulfill all requirements for the MA degree and receive a pass to continue from two of the three faculty supervisors.
Student progress is reviewed annually. At the beginning of Spring Quarter, students meet with their faculty supervisors and provide them with a written summary of their progress toward the degree and their goals for the coming year. The faculty supervisors report to the interdepartmental degree committee which meets to review student progress and advises each student in writing by the end of Spring Quarter as to whether their progress is sufficient to warrant continuation in the program.
Major Fields or Subdisciplines
Anthropology, architecture, art history, comparative literature, economics, education, ethnomusicology, film and television, geography, history, law, management, music, philosophy, political science, psychology, public health, public policy, religion, sociology, urban planning, world arts and cultures, and the literatures of the following languages: Arabic, Berber, Hausa, Indonesian, Iranian languages, Malay, Swahili, Turkic languages, Urdu, Wolof, and Yoruba.
Foreign Language Requirement
Intermediate-level proficiency in a second language listed under Major Fields or Subdisciplines and reading proficiency in a European language other than English that is relevant to the student's research are required prior to advancement to doctoral candidacy. Students are encouraged to achieve required levels of proficiency in their research languages early in their graduate study so that language skills will be of maximum benefit.
Language proficiency may be demonstrated by (1) providing evidence of being a native speaker; (2) passing a program-administered examination; (3) completing three intermediate-level courses with a grade of B or better (courses are not counted toward the degree); or (4) submitting evidence of completion of equivalent coursework elsewhere.
Exceptions to the language requirements may be approved in special cases. This is done through submission of a petition that must be approved by the student's primary faculty adviser, the program Chair, and the Graduate Division.
Course Requirements
- A minimum of 12 courses is required for the PhD degree, including a minimum of three graduate seminars. Students must take at least four graduate and upper-division courses, including one graduate seminar, in each of three chosen fields. One 500-level course in each of three fields may be applied toward PhD course requirements. The three fields must be distributed across more than one division, college or school.
- Students must also take at least one methodology course, which may or may not be in one of the three fields, and as approved by the primary faculty adviser. All courses applied toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.
Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations
After students complete all coursework and foreign language requirements, the program Chair, in consultation with the student, nominates a doctoral committee that meets university requirements, for formal appointment by the Graduate Division. The committee must include faculty from the student's three fields plus a methodology examiner if the latter is not from one of the three fields.
Students should consult the brochure entitled Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA for the year in which they matriculate, as published annually on the Graduate Division's Publications webpage.
Students must write a dissertation prospectus that contains (1) a full statement of the dissertation topic, including any fieldwork that may be required; (2) a historiographical discussion of the literature related to the topic; (3) a statement of the methods to be employed; and (4) a proposed bibliography to be consulted in the course of research and writing.
The doctoral committee conducts four separate written examinations, one in each of the student's three fields and one in a methodology appropriate to the student's dissertation. Following the written examinations, the committee conducts the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which covers the three fields, the methodology and the basis of the dissertation prospectus. Reexamination in any field is at the discretion of the doctoral committee in consultation with the program Chair. No single written examination shall exceed four hours.
Advancement to Candidacy
- Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the degree of Candidate in Philosophy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.
- Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)
- Not required for all students in the program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.
Time-to-Degree
For full-time students with no deficiencies upon admission or advancement to the PhD program, the normative time from admission to approval of the dissertation prospectus, completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations, and advancement to candidacy, is two years. The normative time from advancement to candidacy to the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation), if required, and filing of the dissertation, is three years. Overall, the normative time from graduate admission to award of the PhD degree is five years. Students who undertake field research abroad may require an additional one to two years to complete the program.
Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination - University Policy
A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.
Special Program Policy
A recommendation for termination is made by the Chair of the program upon consultation with the student's primary faculty adviser and the student's doctoral committee. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the interdepartmental degree committee.